The Gwinnett County Communications Department won an award over the weekend during the 50th anniversary of the Southeast Regional Emmy Awards ceremony.
Gwinnett County officials said ‘Upfront Gwinnett: Fighting Fentanyl’ went up against television productions from Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, North Carolina and Georgia.
Honorees included Gwinnett County spokeswoman Deborah Tuff, who hosted and executive produced the series, producer Ryan J. Dennis, filmmaker and editor Brandon Davis and editor Derek Davis.
“We are incredibly proud of the Communications Department for its outstanding work on this series,” Gwinnett Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson said. “Winning an Emmy is a testament to their dedication and the importance of raising awareness about critical issues like fentanyl use in our community.”
Chairwoman Hendrickson, Newton County Chair Marcello Banes and Rockdale County Chairman Oz Nesbitt came up with the idea for the series during an Aust 2022 meeting.
Hendrickson discussed the rise in fentanyl use in neighboring counties and emphasized the urgent need to address the issue in Gwinnett.
Tuff who regularly attends these meetings with the chairwoman began researching fentanyl while engaging with various stakeholders across the County.
Tuff then developed a series tackling challenges the community faces.
The solutions-based program also tackled speeding in Gwinnett County.
The latest series, “Upfront Gwinnett: Suffering in Silence,” focuses on raising awareness about the mental health crisis.
The communications department also achieved an Emmy nomination for the advertisement launching Ride Gwinnett’s new microtransit program.
For a link to a video of the ceremony and the team’s acceptance speech click here.
The series can be viewed on Gwinnett County's YouTube page.
